In what year did World War I start? Important dates and events of the First World War

In the trenches of World War I

So, the Eastern Front was liquidated, and Germany could concentrate all its forces on Western front.

This became possible after a separate peace treaty was concluded, signed on February 9, 1918 between the Ukrainian people's republic and the Central Powers at Brest-Litovsk (the first peace treaty signed during World War I); separate international peace treaty, signed on March 3, 1918 in Brest-Litovsk by representatives Soviet Russia and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria) and a separate peace treaty concluded on May 7, 1918 between Romania and the Central Powers. This treaty ended the war between Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey on the one hand, and Romania on the other.

Russian troops leave the Eastern Front

The offensive of the German army

Germany, having withdrawn its troops from the Eastern Front, hoped to transfer them to the Western, having received a numerical superiority over the troops of the Entente. Germany's plans included a large-scale offensive and the defeat of the allied forces on the Western Front, and then the end of the war. It was planned to dismember the allied grouping of troops and thereby achieve victory over them.

In March-July, the German army launched a powerful offensive in Picardy, Flanders, on the Aisne and Marne rivers, and during fierce battles advanced 40-70 km, but could not defeat the enemy or break through the front. The limited human and material resources of Germany were depleted during the war years. In addition, having occupied, after the signing of the Brest Peace, vast territories of the former Russian Empire, the German command, in order to maintain control over them, was forced to leave large forces in the east, which negatively affected the course of hostilities against the Entente.

By April 5, the first phase of the Spring Offensive (Operation Michael) was over. The offensive continued until mid-summer 1918, culminating in the second Battle of the Marne. But, as in 1914, here the Germans were also defeated. Let's talk about this in more detail.

Operation Michael

german tank

This is the name of the large-scale offensive of the German troops against the armies of the Entente during the First World War. Despite tactical success, the German armies failed to complete the main task. The offensive plan provided for the defeat of the Allied forces on the Western Front. The Germans planned to dismember the allied grouping of troops: the British troops were "thrown into the sea", and the French were forced to retreat to Paris. Despite initial successes, the German troops failed to complete this task. But after Operation Michael, the German command did not abandon active operations and continued offensive operations on the Western Front.

Battle on the Fox

Battle of the Fox: Portuguese Forces

The battle between the German and allied (1st, 2nd English armies, one French cavalry corps, as well as Portuguese units) troops during the First World War in the area of ​​the Lys River. It ended with the success of the German troops. The operation on the Fox was a continuation of Operation Michael. In making an attempt to break through in the Lis area, the German command hoped to turn this offensive into the "main operation" to defeat the British troops. But the Germans did not succeed. As a result of the battle on the Lys, a new ledge 18 km deep was formed in the Anglo-French front. The Allies suffered heavy losses during the April offensive on Lisa and the initiative in the conduct of hostilities continued to remain in the hands of the German command.

Battle on the Aisne

Battle on the Aisne

The battle took place on May 27-June 6, 1918 between the German and allied (Anglo-French-American) troops, it was the third phase of the German Army's Spring Offensive.

The operation was carried out immediately after the second phase of the Spring Offensive (Battle of the Fox). The German troops were opposed by French, British and American troops.

On May 27, artillery preparation began, which caused great damage to the British troops, then the Germans used a gas attack. After that, the German infantry managed to move forward. The German troops were successful: 3 days after the start of the offensive, they captured 50,000 prisoners and 800 guns. By June 3, German troops approached 56 km to Paris.

But soon the offensive began to subside, the attackers did not have enough reserves, the troops were tired. The allies put up fierce resistance, and the newly arrived American troops were brought into battle. On June 6, in view of this, the German troops were ordered to stop on the Marne River.

End of the Spring Offensive

Second Battle of the Marne

On July 15-August 5, 1918, a major battle took place between German and Anglo-French-American troops near the Marne River. This was the last general offensive of the German troops in the entire war. The battle was lost by the Germans after a French counterattack.

The battle began on July 15, when 23 German divisions of the 1st and 3rd armies, led by Fritz von Bülow and Carl von Einem, attacked the French 4th army, led by Henri Gouraud, east of Reims. At the same time, 17 divisions of the 7th German Army, with the support of the 9th, attacked the 6th French Army west of Reims.

The Second Battle of the Marne took place here (modern photo)

American troops (85,000 men) and the British Expeditionary Force came to the aid of the French troops. The offensive in this area was stopped on July 17 by the joint efforts of the troops of France, Great Britain, the USA and Italy.

Ferdinand Foch

After stopping the German offensive Ferdinand Foch(Commander of the Allied Forces) launched a counteroffensive on July 18, and already on July 20 the German command gave the order to retreat. The Germans returned to the positions they occupied before the spring offensive. By August 6, the Allied counterattack had fizzled out after the Germans had established themselves in their old positions.

The catastrophic defeat of Germany led to the abandonment of the plan to invade Flanders and was the first of a series of Allied victories that ended the war.

The Battle of the Marne marked the beginning of the Entente counteroffensive. By the end of September, the Entente troops liquidated the results of the previous German offensive. In the course of a further general offensive in October and early November, most of the occupied French territory and part of Belgian territory were liberated.

On Italian theater in late October, Italian troops defeated the Austro-Hungarian army at Vittorio Veneto and liberated Italian territory captured by the enemy the previous year.

In the Balkan theater, the Entente offensive began on 15 September. By November 1, the Entente troops liberated the territory of Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, entered the territory of Bulgaria and invaded the territory of Austria-Hungary.

Germany's surrender in World War I

Hundred-day offensive of the Entente

It took place on August 8-November 11, 1918 and was a large-scale offensive of the Entente troops against the German army. The hundred-day offensive consisted of several offensive operations. The decisive Entente offensive involved British, Australian, Belgian, Canadian, American and French troops.

After the victory on the Marne, the Allies began to develop a plan for the final defeat of the German army. Marshal Foch believed that the moment had come for a large-scale offensive.

Together with Field Marshal Haig, the site of the main attack was chosen - the site on the Somme River: here was the border between the French and British troops; in Picardy there was a flat terrain, which allowed the active use of tanks; the section on the Somme was covered by the weakened German 2nd Army, which was exhausted by the constant raids of the Australians.

The offensive grouping included 17 infantry and 3 cavalry divisions, 2,684 artillery pieces, 511 tanks (heavy Mark V and Mark V * tanks and Whippet medium tanks, 16 armored vehicles and about 1,000 aircraft. The German 2- I army had 7 infantry divisions, 840 guns and 106 aircraft.The huge advantage of the allies over the Germans was the presence of a large mass of tanks.

Mk V * - British heavy tank of the First World War

The start of the offensive was scheduled for 4 hours 20 minutes. It was planned that after the tanks had passed the line of advanced infantry units, all artillery would open a sudden fire. A third of the guns was supposed to create a fire shaft, and the remaining 2/3 to fire on infantry and artillery positions, command posts, and approach routes for reserves. All preparations for the attack were carried out covertly, using carefully thought-out measures to disguise and mislead the enemy.

Amiens operation

Amiens operation

On August 8, 1918, at 4:20 a.m., Allied artillery opened heavy fire on the positions, command and observation posts, communication centers and rear facilities of the 2nd German Army. At the same time, a third of the artillery organized a barrage, under the cover of which the divisions of the 4th British Army, accompanied by 415 tanks, went on the attack.

The surprise was a complete success. The Anglo-French offensive came as a complete surprise to the German command. Fog and massive explosions of chemical and smoke shells covered everything that was further than 10-15 m from the positions of the German infantry. Before the German command could understand the situation, a mass of tanks fell on the positions of the German troops. The headquarters of several German divisions were taken by surprise by the rapidly advancing British infantry and tanks.

The German command abandoned any offensive actions and decided to move on to the defense of the occupied territories. “Not an inch of land should not be left without a fierce struggle,” was the order to the German troops. In order to avoid serious internal political complications, the High Command hoped to hide from the German people the true state of the army and achieve acceptable peace conditions. As a result of this operation, the German troops began to withdraw.

The Allied Saint-Miel operation was supposed to eliminate the Saint-Miel ledge, go to the Norois, Odimon front, liberate railway Paris-Verdun-Nancy and create an advantageous starting position for further operations.

Saint Miel operation

The plan of operation was developed jointly by the French and American headquarters. It provided for the application of two blows to the converging directions of the German troops. The main blow was delivered on the southern face of the ledge, the auxiliary one on the western. The operation began on 12 September. The German defenses, overwhelmed by the American offensive in the midst of the evacuation, and stripped of most of their artillery, already withdrawn to the rear, were powerless. The resistance of the German troops was insignificant. The next day, the St. Miel ledge was practically eliminated. On September 14 and 15, American divisions came into contact with the new German position and at the line of Norois, Odimon stopped the offensive.

As a result of the operation, the front line was reduced by 24 km. In four days of fighting, the German troops lost only 16,000 prisoners and more than 400 guns. American losses did not exceed 7 thousand people.

The Entente's main offensive began, which dealt the final, mortal blow to the German army. The front was falling apart.

But Washington was in no hurry with a truce, trying to weaken Germany as much as possible. The US President, without rejecting the possibility of starting peace talks, demanded that Germany guarantees the fulfillment of all 14 points.

Fourteen Points of Wilson

US President W. Wilson

Fourteen Points of Wilson- A draft peace treaty ending the First World War. It was developed by US President Wilson and presented to Congress on January 8, 1918. This plan included the reduction of armaments, the withdrawal of German units from Russia and Belgium, the declaration of Poland's independence and the creation of a "common association of nations" (called the League of Nations). This program formed the basis of the Treaty of Versailles. 14 Wilson points were an alternative to the one developed by V.I. Lenin's Decree on Peace, which was less acceptable to the Western powers.

Revolution in Germany

The fighting on the Western Front by this time entered the final stage. On November 5, the 1st American Army broke through the German front, and on November 6, the general retreat of the German troops began. At this time, an uprising of sailors of the German fleet began in Kiel, which developed into the November Revolution. All attempts to suppress revolutionary uprisings were unsuccessful.

Compiègne truce

In order to prevent the final defeat of the army, on November 8, a German delegation arrived in the Compiègne Forest, received by Marshal Foch. The terms of the Entente Armistice were as follows:

• Cessation of hostilities, evacuation within 14 days of the areas of France occupied by German troops, the territories of Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as Alsace-Lorraine.
• Entente troops occupied the left bank of the Rhine, and on the right bank it was planned to create a demilitarized zone.
• Germany undertook to immediately return all prisoners of war to their homeland, to evacuate their troops from the territory of the countries that were previously part of Austria-Hungary, from Romania, Turkey and East Africa.

Germany was to give the Entente 5,000 artillery pieces, 30,000 machine guns, 3,000 mortars, 5,000 locomotives, 150,000 wagons, 2,000 aircraft, 10,000 trucks, 6 heavy cruisers, 10 battleships, 8 light cruisers, 50 destroyers and 160 submarines. The remaining ships of the German navy were disarmed and interned by the Allies. The blockade of Germany was maintained. Foch sharply rejected all attempts by the German delegation to soften the terms of the armistice. In fact, the conditions put forward demanded unconditional surrender. However, the German delegation still managed to soften the terms of the truce (reduce the number of weapons for extradition). The requirements for the extradition of submarines were lifted. In other points, the terms of the truce remained unchanged.

November 11, 1918 at 5 am French time, the terms of the armistice were signed. The Compiègne truce was signed. At 11 o'clock the first shots of the artillery salute of the nations in 101 volleys were heard, announcing the end of the First World War. Germany's allies in the Quadruple Alliance capitulated even earlier: on September 29, Bulgaria capitulated, on October 30 - Turkey, on November 3 - Austria-Hungary.

Allied representatives at the signing of the armistice. Ferdinand Foch (second from right) near his carriage in the forest of Compiègne

Other theaters of war

On the Mesopotamian front the whole of 1918 was calm. On November 14, the British army, without meeting the resistance of the Turkish troops, occupied Mosul. This ended the fighting here.

In Palestine it was also quiet. In the autumn of 1918, the British army launched an offensive and occupied Nazareth, the Turkish army was surrounded and defeated. The British then invaded Syria and ended the fighting there on 30 October.

In Africa German troops continued to resist. Leaving Mozambique, the Germans invaded the territory of the English colony of Northern Rhodesia. But when the Germans learned of Germany's defeat in the war, their colonial troops laid down their arms.

On June 28, 1914, the assassination of the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Ferdinand and his wife was committed in Bosnia, in which Serbia was accused of involvement. And although the British statesman Edward Gray called for a settlement of the conflict, offering the 4 largest powers as mediators, he only managed to aggravate the situation more and draw the whole of Europe, including Russia, into the war.

Nearly a month later, Russia announces troop mobilization and conscription after Serbia turns to it for help. However, what was originally planned as a precautionary measure provoked a backlash from Germany with demands for an end to conscription. As a result, on August 1, 1914, Germany declares war on Russia.

Major events of the First World War.

Years of the First World War.

• When did the first World War? The year of the beginning of the First World War is 1914 (July 28).
• When did World War II end? The year of the end of the First World War is 1918 (November 11).

Main dates of the First World War.

During the 5 years of the war there were many important events and operations, but among them there are several that played a decisive role in the war itself and its history.

• July 28 Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. Russia supports Serbia.
• August 1, 1914 Germany declares war on Russia. Germany in general has always strived for world domination. And throughout August, everyone puts ultimatums to each other and does nothing but declare war.
• In November 1914, Great Britain begins a naval blockade of Germany. Gradually, in all countries, an active mobilization of the population into the army begins.
• At the beginning of 1915, large-scale offensive operations were unfolding in Germany, on its eastern front. The spring of the same year, namely April, can be associated with such significant event as the beginning of the use of chemical weapons. Again from Germany.
• In October 1915, hostilities were unleashed against Serbia by Bulgaria. In response to these actions, the Entente declares war on Bulgaria.
• In 1916, the use of tank technology begins, mainly by the British.
• In 1917, Nicholas II abdicates the throne in Russia, a provisional government comes to power, which leads to a split in the army. Active hostilities continue.
• In November 1918, Germany proclaims itself a republic - the result of the revolution.
• November 11, 1918, in the morning, Germany signs the Armistice of Compiègne and from that very day the hostilities end.

End of the First World War.

Despite the fact that for most of the war, German troops were able to deliver serious blows to the Allied army, by December 1, 1918, the Allies were able to break through to the borders of Germany and begin its occupation.

Later, on June 28, 1919, having no other choice, the German representatives signed a peace treaty in Paris, eventually called the "Peace of Versailles", and put an end to the First World War.

The First World War began in 1914 after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and lasted until 1918. In the conflict, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire (Central Powers) fought Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Japan, and the United States (Allied Powers).

Thanks to new military technology and the horrors of trench warfare, World War I was unprecedented in terms of bloodshed and destruction. By the time the war ended and the victory of the Allied Powers, more than 16 million people, both soldiers and civilians, were dead.

The beginning of the first world war

Tension hung over Europe, especially in the problematic Balkan region and southeastern Europe, long before the actual start of the First World War. Some alliances, including European powers, the Ottoman Empire, Russia and other powers, had existed for years, but political instability in the Balkans (notably Bosnia, Serbia and Herzegovina) threatened to destroy these agreements.

The spark that ignited the First World War originated in Sarajevo (Bosnia), where Archduke Franz Ferdinand - heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire - was shot dead along with his wife Sofia by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip on June 28, 1914. Princip and other nationalists were fed up with Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The assassination of Franz Ferdinand set off a rapidly spreading chain of events: Austria-Hungary, like many other countries around the world, blamed the Serbian government for the attack and hoped to use the incident to settle the issue of Serbian nationalism once and for all under the pretense of restoring justice.

But because of Russia's support for Serbia, Austria-Hungary delayed declaring war until their leaders received confirmation from the German ruler, Kaiser Wilhelm II, that Germany would support their cause. Austria-Hungary was afraid that the Russian intervention would also attract Russia's allies - France, and possibly Great Britain.

On July 5, Kaiser Wilhelm secretly pledged his support, giving Austria-Hungary the so-called carte blanche to take action and the assurance that Germany would be on their side in case of war. The dualistic Monarchy of Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia with conditions so harsh that they could not be accepted.

Convinced that Austria-Hungary is preparing for war, the Serbian government orders the mobilization of the army and asks for help from Russia. July 28 Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia and the fragile peace between the greatest European powers collapses. For a week, Russia, Belgium, France, Great Britain and Serbia oppose Austria-Hungary and Germany. Thus began the First World War.

Western Front

In an aggressive military strategy known as the Schlieffen Plan (named for the Chief of the German General Staff, General Alfred von Schlieffen), Germany began fighting World War I on two fronts, invading France through neutral Belgium in the west and confronting powerful Russia in the east. .

On August 4, 1914, German troops crossed the Belgian border. In the first battle of the First World War, the Germans laid siege to the well-fortified city of Liege. They used the most powerful weapon in their arsenal - heavy artillery pieces and captured the city by August 15. Leaving death and destruction in their wake, including the execution of civilians and the execution of a Belgian priest who was suspected of organizing civil resistance, the Germans advanced through Belgium towards France.

In the first battle of the Marne, which took place on September 6-9, French and British troops entered the battle with the German army, which had penetrated deep into French territory from the northeast and was already 50 kilometers from Paris. Allied forces halted the German advance and launched a successful counterattack, driving the Germans back north of the Ein River.

The defeat meant the end of the German plans for a quick victory over France. Both sides dug in trenches, and the western front turned into a hellish war of extermination that lasted more than three years.

Particularly long and major battles of the campaign took place at Verdun (February-December 1916) and on the Somme (July-November 1916). The combined losses of the German and French armies amount to about a million casualties in the Battle of Verdun alone.

The bloodshed on the battlefields of the western front and the hardships faced by the soldiers over the years inspired such works as: "All Quiet on the Western Front" by Erich Maria Remarque and "In the Fields of Flanders" by Canadian doctor Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae.

Eastern front

On the eastern front of the First World War, Russian troops invaded the German-controlled regions of Eastern and Poland, but were stopped by German and Austrian forces at the Battle of Tannenberg in late August 1914.

Despite this victory, the Russian attack forced Germany to transfer 2 corps from the western to the eastern front, which ultimately had an impact on the German defeat at the Battle of the Marne.
Violent allied resistance in France, coupled with the ability to quickly mobilize Russia's huge war machine, led to a longer and more exhausting military confrontation than the quick victory plan that Germany had hoped for under the Schlieffen plan.

Revolution in Russia

From 1914 to 1916, the Russian army launched several attacks on the eastern front, but the Russian Army was unable to break through the German defensive lines.

The defeats on the battlefields, coupled with economic instability and a shortage of food and basic necessities, led to growing discontent among the bulk of the Russian population, especially among the poor workers and peasants. The increased hostility was directed against the monarchical regime of Emperor Nicholas II and his extremely unpopular German-born wife.

Russian instability exceeded the boiling point, which resulted in the Russian Revolution of 1917, led by and. The revolution ended monarchical rule and led to the end of Russia's participation in the First World War. Russia reached an agreement to cease hostilities with the Central Powers in early December 1917, freeing German troops to fight the remaining Allies on the western front.

USA enters World War I

At the outbreak of hostilities in 1914, the United States preferred to remain on the sidelines, adhering to President Woodrow Wilson's policy of neutrality. At the same time, they maintained commercial relations and trade with European countries on both sides of the conflict.

Neutrality, however, became more difficult to maintain as German submarines became aggressive against neutral ships, even those carrying only passengers. In 1915, Germany declared the waters around the British Isles a war zone and German submarines sank several commercial and passenger ships, including US ships.

Widespread public outcry was caused by the sinking of the British transatlantic liner Lusitania by a German submarine en route from New York to Liverpool. Hundreds of Americans were on board, which in May 1915 caused a shift in American public opinion against Germany. In February 1917, the US Congress passed a $250 million arms appropriation bill to enable the US to prepare for war.

Germany sank 4 more US merchant ships in the same month, and on April 2, President Woodrow Wilson appeared before Congress calling for a declaration of war on Germany.

Dardanelles operation and the battle of the Isonzo

When World War I put Europe in a stalemate, the Allies attempted to defeat the Ottoman Empire, which had entered the war on the side of the Central Powers in late 1914.

After a failed attack on the Dardanelles (the strait connecting the Seas of Marmara and the Aegean), British-led Allied troops landed a large force on the Gallipoli peninsula in April 1915.

The invasion turned out to be a crushing defeat and in January 1916 the Allied forces were forced to make a full retreat from the coast of the peninsula, having suffered losses of 250,000 people.
Young, First Lord of the Admiralty of Great Britain resigned as commander after the lost Gallipoli campaign in 1916, accepting appointment as commander of an infantry battalion in France.

British-led forces also fought in Egypt and Mesopotamia. At the same time, in northern Italy, Austrian and Italian troops met in a series of 12 battles on the banks of the Isonzo River, located on the border of the two states.

The first Battle of the Isonzo took place in the late spring of 1915, shortly after Italy entered the war on the side of the Allies. At the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, also known as the Battle of Caporetto (October 1917), German reinforcements helped Austria-Hungary win a landslide victory.

After Caporetto, the allies of Italy got involved in the confrontation to provide support to Italy. British and French, and then American troops landed in the region, and Allied troops began to retake their lost positions on the Italian front.

World War I at sea

In the years leading up to the First World War, the superiority of the British Royal Navy was undeniable, but the German Imperial Navy made significant progress in closing the gap between the forces of the two fleets. The strength of the German fleet in open waters was supported by deadly submarines.

After the Battle of Dogger Bank in January 1915, in which Britain launched a surprise attack on German ships in the North Sea, the German Navy chose not to engage the mighty British Royal Navy in major battles throughout the year, preferring to pursue a strategy of hidden strikes by submarines.

The largest naval battle of World War I was the Battle of Jutland in the North Sea (May 1916). The battle confirmed British naval superiority, and Germany made no further attempts to lift the Allied naval blockade until the end of the war.

Towards a truce

Germany was able to strengthen its position on the western front after the armistice with Russia, which forced the Allied forces to do their best to contain the German advance until the arrival of the reinforcements promised by the United States.

On July 15, 1918, German troops launched what would become the last attack of the war on French troops, joined by 85,000 American soldiers and the British Expeditionary Force, in the Second Battle of the Marne. The Allies successfully repulsed the German offensive and launched their own counterattack after only 3 days.

Having suffered significant losses, the German forces were forced to abandon the plan to attack in the north in Flanders - the region stretching between France and Belgium. The region seemed particularly important to Germany's prospects for victory.

The Second Battle of the Marne turned the balance of power in favor of the Allies, who were able to take control of large parts of France and Belgium in the following months. By the autumn of 1918, the Central Powers were losing on all fronts. Despite the Turkish victory at Gallipoli, subsequent defeats and the Arab revolt devastated the Ottoman economy and devastated their lands. The Turks were forced to sign settlement agreement with the Allies at the end of October 1918.

Austria-Hungary, eroded from within by the growing nationalist movement, concluded an armistice on 4 November. The German army was cut off from supplies from the rear and faced with a decrease in resources for combat operations due to the encirclement of Allied troops. This forced Germany to seek an armistice, which she concluded on November 11, 1918, ending the First World War.

Treaty of Versailles

At the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, Allied leaders expressed their desire to build a post-war world capable of protecting itself from future destructive conflicts.

Some hopeful conference attendees even called World War I "The War to End All Other Wars." But the Treaty of Versailles, signed on June 28, 1919, did not achieve its goals.

Years later, the hatred of the Germans for the Treaty of Versailles and its authors will be considered one of the main reasons that provoked the Second World War.

Results of the First World War

The First World War claimed the lives of more than 9 million soldiers and more than 21 million were wounded. Losses among the civilian population amounted to about 10 million. Germany and France suffered the most significant losses, sending about 80 percent of their male population between the ages of 15 and 49 to the war.

The collapse of political alliances that accompanied the First World War led to the displacement of 4 monarchical dynasties: German, Austro-Hungarian, Russian and Turkish.

The First World War led to a massive shift in social strata, as millions of women were forced to go into working professions to support the men fighting at the front and replace those who never returned from the battlefields.

The first, such a large-scale war, also caused the spread of one of the world's largest epidemics of the Spanish flu, or "Spanish flu", which claimed the lives of 20 to 50 million people.

The First World War is also called the "first modern war", as it was the first to use the latest military developments at that time, such as machine guns, tanks, aircraft and radio transmissions.

The grave consequences caused by the use of chemical weapons such as mustard gas and phosgene against soldiers and civilians have intensified public opinion towards prohibiting their further use as weapons.

Signed in 1925, it banned the use of chemical and biological weapons in armed conflicts to this day.

Who fought with whom? Now this question will surely baffle many ordinary people. But Great War, as it was called in the world until 1939, claimed more than 20 million lives and forever changed the course of history. For 4 bloody years, empires collapsed, peoples disappeared, alliances were concluded. Therefore, it is necessary to know about it at least for the purposes of general development.

Reasons for the start of the war

By the beginning of the 19th century, the crisis in Europe was obvious to all major powers. Many historians and analysts cite various populist reasons why who fought with whom before, which peoples were fraternal to each other, and so on - all this had practically no meaning for most countries. The goals of the warring powers in the First World War were different, but main reason there was a desire of big capital to spread its influence and get new markets.

First of all, it is worth considering the desire of Germany, since it was she who became the aggressor and actually unleashed the war. But at the same time, one should not assume that it only wanted war, and the rest of the countries did not prepare attack plans and only defended themselves.

German goals

By the beginning of the 20th century, Germany continued to develop rapidly. The empire had a good army, modern types armaments, a powerful economy. The main problem was that it was possible to unite the German lands under a single flag only in the middle of the 19th century. It was then that the Germans became an important player on the world stage. But by the time Germany emerged as a great power, the period of active colonization had already been missed. England, France, Russia and other countries had many colonies. They opened up a good market for the capital of these countries, made it possible to have cheap labor, an abundance of food and specific goods. Germany did not have this. Commodity overproduction led to stagnation. The growth of the population and the limited territories of their settlement formed a food shortage. Then the German leadership decided to move away from the idea of ​​being a member of the commonwealth of countries, having a secondary voice. Sometime towards the end of the 19th century, political doctrines were directed towards building the German Empire as the world's leading power. AND the only way this is war.

Year 1914. The First World War: who fought?

Other countries thought similarly. The capitalists pushed the governments of all major states to expansion. First of all, Russia wanted to unite as many Slavic lands as possible under its banners, especially in the Balkans, especially since the local population was loyal to such patronage.

Turkey played an important role. The world's leading players closely watched the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and waited for the moment to bite off a piece from this giant. Crisis and anticipation were felt throughout Europe. There were a number of bloody wars in the territory of modern Yugoslavia, after which the First World War followed. Who fought with whom in the Balkans, sometimes they did not remember locals the South Slavic countries themselves. The capitalists drove the soldiers forward, changing allies depending on the benefits. It was already clear that, most likely, something larger than a local conflict would happen in the Balkans. And so it happened. At the end of June, Gavrila Princip assassinated Archduke Ferdinand. used this event as a pretext for declaring war.

Parties' expectations

The warring countries of the First World War did not think what the conflict would result in. If you study in detail the plans of the parties, it is clearly seen that each was going to win due to the rapid offensive. No more than a few months were allotted for hostilities. This was due, among other things, to the fact that before that there were no such precedents in history, when almost all powers participate in the war.

World War I: who fought whom?

On the eve of 1914, two alliances were concluded: the Entente and the Triple. The first included Russia, Britain, France. In the second - Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy. Smaller countries united around one of these alliances. With whom was Russia at war? With Bulgaria, Turkey, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Albania. As well as a number of armed formations of other countries.

After the Balkan crisis in Europe, two main theaters of military operations were formed - Western and Eastern. Also, hostilities were fought in the Transcaucasus and in various colonies in the Middle East and Africa. It is difficult to list all the conflicts that the First World War gave rise to. Who fought with whom depended on belonging to a particular alliance and territorial claims. For example, France has long dreamed of regaining the lost Alsace and Lorraine. And Turkey is land in Armenia.

For the Russian Empire, the war turned out to be the most costly. And not only in economic terms. On the fronts, Russian troops suffered the greatest losses.

This was one of the reasons for the start of the October Revolution, as a result of which a socialist state was formed. The people simply did not understand why those who were mobilized by the thousands went to the West, and only a few returned.
Intensive was basically only the first year of the war. The subsequent ones were characterized by positional struggle. Many kilometers of trenches were dug, countless defensive structures were erected.

The atmosphere of a positional permanent war is very well described in Remarque's book All Quiet on the Western Front. It was in the trenches that the lives of soldiers were grinded, and the economies of countries worked exclusively for the war, reducing costs for all other institutions. 11 million civilian lives were claimed by the First World War. Who fought with whom? There can be only one answer to this question: capitalists with capitalists.

In order to thoroughly understand how the First World War (1914-1918) began, you must first familiarize yourself with the political situation that developed in Europe by the beginning of the 20th century. The prehistory of the global military conflict was Franco-Prussian War(1870-1871). It ended with the complete defeat of France, and the confederal union of German states was transformed into the German Empire. Wilhelm I became its head on January 18, 1871. Thus, a powerful state appeared in Europe with a population of 41 million people and an army of almost 1 million soldiers.

The political situation in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century

At first, the German Empire did not seek political dominance in Europe, as it was economically weak. But in 15 years, the country has gained strength and began to claim a more worthy place in the Old World. It must be said here that politics is always determined by the economy, and German capital had very few markets. This can be explained by the fact that Germany in its colonial expansion hopelessly lagged behind Great Britain, Spain, Belgium, France, and Russia.

Map of Europe by 1914 brown showing Germany and its allies. in green showing countries of the Entente

It is also necessary to take into account the small areas of the state, the population of which was growing rapidly. It required food, but it was not enough. In a word, Germany gained strength, and the world was already divided, and no one was going to voluntarily give up the promised lands. There was only one way out - to take away the tidbits by force and provide their capital and people with a decent and prosperous life.

The German Empire did not hide its ambitious claims, but it could not stand alone against England, France and Russia. Therefore, in 1882, Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy formed a military-political bloc (Triple Alliance). Its consequence was the Moroccan crises (1905-1906, 1911) and the Italo-Turkish war (1911-1912). It was a test of strength, a rehearsal for a more serious and large-scale military conflict.

In response to the growing German aggression in 1904-1907, a military-political bloc of cordial consent (Entente) was formed, which included England, France and Russia. Thus, at the beginning of the 20th century, two powerful military forces were formed on the territory of Europe. One of them, led by Germany, sought to expand its living space, and the other force tried to counteract these plans in order to protect its economic interests.

Germany's ally Austria-Hungary was a hotbed of instability in Europe. It was a multinational country, which constantly provoked interethnic conflicts. In October 1908 Austria-Hungary annexed Herzegovina and Bosnia. This caused sharp dissatisfaction with Russia, which had the status of a defender of the Slavs in the Balkans. Russia was supported by Serbia, which considered itself the unifying center of the southern Slavs.

A tense political situation was observed in the Middle East. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Ottoman Empire that once dominated here began to be called the “sick man of Europe”. And therefore, stronger countries began to claim its territory, which provoked political disagreements and wars of a local nature. All of the above information has given a general idea of ​​the prerequisites for a global military conflict, and now it's time to find out how the First World War began.

Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife

The political situation in Europe was heating up every day and by 1914 had reached its peak. All that was needed was a small push, a pretext for unleashing a global military conflict. And soon such an occasion presented itself. It went down in history as the Sarajevo murder, and it happened on June 28, 1914.

Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife Sophia

On that ill-fated day, a member of the nationalist organization "Mlada Bosna" (Young Bosnia) Gavrilo Princip (1894-1918) killed the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1863-1914) and his wife, Countess Sofia Hotek (1868-1914). "Mlada Bosna" advocated the liberation of Bosnia and Herzegovina from the rule of Austria-Hungary and was ready to use any methods for this, including terrorist ones.

The Archduke and his wife arrived in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, at the invitation of the Austro-Hungarian governor, General Oskar Potiorek (1853-1933). Everyone knew about the arrival of the crowned couple in advance, and the members of Mlada Bosna decided to kill Ferdinand. For this purpose, a battle group of 6 people was created. It consisted of young people, natives of Bosnia.

Early on the morning of Sunday, June 28, 1914, the royal couple arrived in Sarajevo by train. On the platform, she was met by Oskar Potiorek, journalists and an enthusiastic crowd of loyal associates. The arrivals and high-ranking greeters sat in 6 cars, while the Archduke and his wife were in the third car with a folded top. The motorcade pulled away and rushed towards the military barracks.

By 10 o'clock the inspection of the barracks was completed, and all 6 cars drove along the Appel embankment to the city hall. This time the car with the crowned couple moved second in the cortege. At 10:10 am, the moving cars caught up with one of the terrorists named Nedelko Chabrinovich. This young man threw a grenade at the car with the Archduke. But the grenade hit the convertible top, flew under the third car and exploded.

Detention of Gavrilo Princip, who killed Archduke Ferdinand and his wife

Shrapnel killed the driver of the car, injured passengers, as well as people who were at that moment near the car. A total of 20 people were injured. The terrorist himself swallowed potassium cyanide. However, that did not give the desired effect. The man vomited, and he, escaping from the crowd, jumped into the river. But the river in that place was very shallow. The terrorist was dragged ashore, and angry people brutally beat him. After that, the crippled conspirator was handed over to the police.

After the explosion, the cortege picked up speed and rushed to the city hall without incident. There, a magnificent reception awaited the crowned couple, and, despite the assassination attempt, the solemn part took place. At the end of the celebration, it was decided to curtail the further program due to the emergency situation. It was decided only to go to the hospital to visit the wounded there. At 10:45 a.m., the cars started off again and drove along Franz Josef Street.

Another terrorist, Gavrilo Princip, was waiting for the moving cortege. He was standing outside Moritz Schiller's Delicatessen, next to the Latin Bridge. Seeing a crowned couple sitting in a convertible car, the conspirator stepped forward, caught up with the car and was near it at a distance of only one and a half meters. He fired twice. The first bullet hit Sophia in the stomach, and the second in Ferdinand's neck.

After the execution of people, the conspirator tried to poison himself, but, like the first terrorist, he only vomited. Then Princip made an attempt to shoot himself, but people ran up, took away the gun and started beating the 19-year-old man. He was so beaten that in the prison hospital the killer had to amputate his arm. Subsequently, the court sentenced Gavrilo Princip to 20 years of hard labor, since, according to the laws of Austria-Hungary, he was a minor at the time of the crime. In prison, the young man was kept in the most difficult conditions and died of tuberculosis on April 28, 1918.

Wounded by the conspirator, Ferdinand and Sophia remained sitting in the car, which rushed to the governor's residence. There, they were going to provide medical assistance to the injured. But the couple died on the way. First, Sophia died, and after 10 minutes Ferdinand gave her soul to God. Thus ended the Sarajevo massacre, which became the reason for the start of the First World War.

July Crisis

The July crisis is a series of diplomatic clashes between the leading powers of Europe in the summer of 1914, provoked by the Sarajevo assassination. Of course, this political conflict could be resolved peacefully, but strong of the world I really wanted this war. And such a desire was based on the belief that the war would be very short and effective. But it took on a protracted character and claimed more than 20 million human lives.

Funeral of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife Countess Sofia

After the assassination of Ferdinand, Austria-Hungary stated that Serbian state structures were behind the conspirators. At the same time, Germany publicly announced to the whole world that in the event of a military conflict in the Balkans, she would support Austria-Hungary. This statement was made on July 5, 1914, and on July 23, Austria-Hungary issued a tough ultimatum to Serbia. In particular, in it the Austrians demanded that their police officers be allowed into the territory of Serbia to investigate and punish terrorist groups.

The Serbs could not agree to such a thing and announced mobilization in the country. Literally two days later, on July 26, the Austrians also announced mobilization and began to gather troops to the borders of Serbia and Russia. The final touch in this local conflict was July 28. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and began shelling Belgrade. After the artillery preparation, the Austrian troops crossed the Serbian border.

On July 29, Russian Emperor Nicholas II proposed to Germany to resolve the Austro-Serbian conflict at the Hague Conference by peaceful means. But Germany did not respond to this. Then, on July 31, a general mobilization was announced in the Russian Empire. In response, Germany declared war on Russia on August 1, and war on France on August 3. Already on August 4, German troops entered Belgium, and its king Albert turned to the European countries-guarantors of its neutrality.

After that, Great Britain sent a note of protest to Berlin and demanded an immediate end to the invasion of Belgium. The German government ignored the note, and Great Britain declared war on Germany. And the final touch of this universal madness was August 6th. On this day, Austria-Hungary declared war on the Russian Empire. This is how the First World War began.

Soldiers in World War I

It officially lasted from July 28, 1914 to November 11, 1918. Military operations were carried out in the Central, Eastern Europe, in the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Middle East, Africa, China, Oceania. Nothing like this before the human civilization did not know. It was the largest military conflict that shook the state foundations of the leading countries of the planet. After the war, the world became different, but humanity did not grow wiser and by the middle of the 20th century unleashed an even larger massacre that claimed many more lives..